Support exists for cancer patients younger than 45

Melissa EricksonMore Content Now

Wednesday

Oct 21, 2015 at 9:00 AM

Cara Scharf's journey with breast cancer began when she was young. She was diagnosed with stage 1c breast cancer with a 2 cm tumor when she was just 25 years old — but really it began even earlier than that.

Cara Scharf’s journey with breast cancer began when she was young. She was diagnosed with stage 1c breast cancer with a 2 cm tumor when she was just 25 years old — but really it began even earlier than that.

“My mom passed away from breast cancer when I was 3. She was fairly young, in her 40s. Her mother died early, too, from ovarian cancer, so I knew I had a strong family history of breast cancer, but I didn’t know what that meant for me,” said the Philadelphia 30-year-old.

Breast cancer wasn’t discussed frequently in Scharf’s home growing up, but when Cara was 22 her father, an obstetrician/gynecologist, talked with her about the BRCA1 and 2 gene mutations that lead to a higher risk of developing the disease. She considered it a smart move to get tested.

She tested positive for BRCA1.

“I always knew that there was a high likelihood that I could develop breast cancer, but the test results made it more formal. I had a piece of paper that showed I have a high risk of breast and ovarian cancer,” said Scharf, who is also an Ashkenazi Jew, a population with a higher incidence of breast cancer.

At 22, during the summer after she graduated from college, Scharf opted for no treatments or surgery.

“I just felt I was too young,” she said.

At 25, her annual mammogram looked normal with no significant findings. Six months later, a follow-up MRI looked suspicious. Next came an ultrasound and a biopsy and then the diagnosis.

After the ordeals of surgeries and treatment from May through December 2011, Scharf is now healthy and sharing her story through the CDC’s new Bring Your Brave campaign.

“I’m all about telling people my story. Knowing I had the BRCA gene saved my life. If I hadn’t started screening early, I don’t know if I’d be alive today,” she said. Caught later, the cancer “might have been at a much higher stage or may have spread to other parts of my body,” Scharf said.

Special challenges

“While rare, 11 percent of all cases of breast cancer in the United States are reported in women under 45 and many of them may not realize they’re at risk,” said Dr. Temeika Fairley, health scientist with the CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control.

Women diagnosed at a younger age face unique challenges. They’re in their reproductive prime and may be looking to have children or have children to care for. Breast cancer may be interrupting work or school and impact a woman financially. There are also issues with body image and relationships, Fairley said.

Breast cancer in young women is:

• More likely to be hereditary than breast cancer in older women.

• More likely to be found at a later stage.

• Often more aggressive and difficult to treat.

All women are at risk for breast cancer, but some things can raise a woman’s risk for getting breast cancer before age 45. Learning what factors increase your chance is an important first step in assessing your risk. Learning the symptoms of breast cancer also may help you know when to talk to your doctor.

‘Know your normal’

Because breast cancer at a young age is so uncommon, “you feel like you’re the only person you know who’s going through it. You’re thrown into a situation that’s so hard and isolating,” Scharf said.

It may not feel like it, but support is out there.

“You’re not alone. Connect with people,” said Scharf, who blogs about her experience at Wearing My BRCA Genes, https://youngbrca1.wordpress.com. She started a cancer connection group that sponsors meet-ups and joined other groups to make connections for social reasons and to learn from others’ experiences.

The goal of the Bring Your Brave campaign, which shares stories about young women affected by breast cancer, is to inspire women to learn about their risk for breast cancer and to encourage them to live a breast-healthy lifestyle.

“Know your body and the warning signs of breast cancer,” Scharf said. “Know your normal. If something feels weird or out of place, be an advocate for yourself to get the care and attention that you need, even if you’re not a considered a high risk.”

For more information about Bring Your Brave and breast cancer in young women, visit www.cdc.gov/BringYourBrave. Join the conversation using #BringYourBrave and by following CDC Breast Cancer on Facebook; CDC’s Breast Cancer board on Pinterest, and @CDC_Cancer on Twitter.

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